Willits Science Fair opens to public today

It's not just for parents. Willits schoolchildren have poured their hearts and souls into this year's Science Fair and would love to share their work with the public.

If you haven't seen science projects done by the our community's young people recently, you're missing out on the creative, funny and often intriguing research being done.

"There are some amazing projects this year," teacher Erin Vaccaro said with a smile.

More than 250 projects flooded into the community center for this year's fair, which is likely to set a new standard in quality. Even if they're not your children, they are the children of Willits and would love to tell you all about how fast certain flowers drink water or which chemical salt burns faster.

Science Fair Coordinator Sharon Hannah says participation has gone up, pushing the community center to capacity. She needed 22 extra tables to hold all the projects on display this year. Even kids too young to officially participate have contributed to this year's field. Students in pre-kindergarten through second grade classes have shared eight projects.

Suzanne Matheson, one of the teachers who started the science fair in Willits more than 25 years ago, was on hand to help and admire.

"The quality of the projects has gone up," she said. "We're making good thinkers."

The 2013 Willits Science Fair is open to the public on Wednesday, February 27, from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., and on Thursday, February 28, from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., at the Willits Community Center.